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Málaga · Mysteries & legends

Hidden Málaga: traps, prisoners and a missing tower

Málaga holds stories that sound made up but aren't, and others that everyone repeats without a shred of proof. This tour runs from the English Cemetery to the church of the city's patron saints, carefully separating what the records say from what tradition tells.

  • 5 stops
  • 2.3 km
  • 1 h 45 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Painting of the execution of Torrijos and his companions on a Málaga beach

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 English CemeteryBefore it existed, Protestants who died in Málaga were buried at night on the beach.
  2. 2 Plaza de la Merced and the Torrijos obeliskBeneath the obelisk lie 49 men who fell into a trap baited with fake letters.
  3. 3 Church of Santiago and Jesús El RicoEvery Holy Wednesday a Christ figure leaves this church with the privilege of setting a prisoner free.
  4. 4 La Manquita: the missing towerThe cathedral never got its second tower, and Málaga has been arguing ever since about where the money went.
  5. 5 Church of the Holy Martyrs (Santos Mártires)Two young people stoned by the river in the year 303 became, twelve centuries later, the patron saints of Málaga.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

Hidden Málaga: traps, prisoners and a missing tower

Intrigue on paper

The 1831 trap set for Torrijos is written down in letters and dispatches: there's no need to exaggerate anything.

Legends with names

The prisoners who carried their Christ on their shoulders, the money for la Manquita and the martyrs stoned by the river.

What's true and what isn't

At every stop we tell you what is proven and what belongs to popular memory.

Keep exploring

More routes in Málaga

Back to Málaga
HistoryMálaga in layers: from Malaka to Calle Larios MixedThe best of Málaga: from Picasso to the lighthouse

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Málaga?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Málaga in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Málaga in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Málaga in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary